Lucky Storm, by Child of Lugh
by The Medlink Federation
Summary: [Created by ChildofLugh] Post-WW by several years, Link nearly drowns and is rescued by Medli - need I say more? (Nothing described in any great detail; contains a lemon!)
1. The Storm

((Once and for all: I DO NOT CLAIM TO OWN ZELDA. There. ))  
  
Chapter 1: The Storm.  
  
Prince Komali bursts into my rooms. I am about to scold him for neglecting to knock, but I see he is wet to the skin and trembling. His eyes are dilated with fear and shock.  
  
Outside the storm rages, the roaring of the Great Sea almost drowning the very air, which is heavy and crackles with lightning and thunder. In my rooms high up on Dragon Roost Island, the spray does not touch, but the beaches around the island are saturated in salt water from the pounding of the waves that are ten times more violent than I have ever seen them.  
  
"Medli! It's Link! In the sea!"  
  
"What?" I snap, crossing the room to him as my heart skips a beat in fear.  
  
He pants as he replies, "Remember? He helped us save the Great Valoo all those years ago..."  
  
"I remember him, feather-brain. What do you mean, 'in the sea'?"  
  
"You remember he went away with those pirates? Well the storm must have capsized his boat or something. He's barely alive; we have to save him!"  
  
I pull on a poncho and push rudely past him, my betrothed, and stride quickly down the stairs. Komali follows me anxiously, and I wonder if I betrayed my feelings towards the young boy who helped awaken me as a Sage, he who caught me in his arms as I fell in dreams all those years ago, he who has become one of the most handsome young men I have ever laid eyes on.  
  
Outside, the rain strikes our faces. Komali's flame eyes narrow as he scans the heaving sea. He grabs my arm, "There! See? He keeps getting tossed up and down."  
  
I squint in the direction he gestures, and make out the shape of a human body, rollicking and lurching like a child's rag doll. I meet Komali's gaze, "We'll go and get him. I know it's wet and cold, but if we leave him, he'll die." The thought is poison, and I take off, flapping like a mad thing to make headway against the howling wind.  
  
Komali and I reach the limp form at the mercy of the waves after much toil. He clings to a small bundle of possessions, from which a sword handle shows. Komali and I use our feet to persuade the waves to take him to shore. Eventually, we make some distance, and a couple of mighty waves wash him up onto the beach.  
  
Quickly, we land and take him under the arms and drag him further up the beach. The waves soak our clothes and wings, and we both begin to shiver. Link is much worse for wear: his clothing ripped and torn, long blonde hair dulled and clinging to his pallid face. As we move him, he groans in pain and coughs: blood dribbles from his lips and stains his tunic.  
  
We take him into the tunnel that runs through the rocks: here the wind does not batter us and we are sheltered. I whisper to Komali, although I think Link is in no condition to hear, "Go and wake Quill. He'll help us bed him down and heal him." Komali, eager to help me, swoops off once more into the rain. I turn my attention back to Link.  
  
He has begun to shiver, a wild trembling that bring pity swelling up from within me. I take off my poncho and spread it over him, and his shivering lessens. He breathes in my scent, and it seems to comfort him, although I can only guess why. I take his head into my lap and begin to untangle his hair. He moans softly, and, fearful of hurting him, I cease. My harp, as always, is strapped carefully to my back. I take it into my hands and play softly the song he taught me: the Earth God's Lyric, hoping it will bring him to the present with memories of the past...  
  
***  
  
All around me are rushing roaring waters, the storm's thundering echoes in this strange world of water and foam. These waves were too much for my boat and now they have taken it: mast snapped and the sail torn free. I clung to my belongings like a mother to her babe, fearful of loosing them. They are helping to keep me afloat.  
  
Again and again I am thrust beneath the violent flow of the tides, the lightening flashing in the eerie world of towering waves. Holding my breath is harder now, the bubbles as I let it go make me dizzy. I lust for clear air, and before I am thrust upwards again I inhale salt water. My vision clouds in the harsh darkness of unconsciousness, and the last thing I know is that something is pulling and tugging at my clothing before I am pushed down again...  
  
Suddenly I have the sensation of solid land, of not being battered by the sea. I come to slightly to agony, especially in my chest. I cough and groan and expel thick sticky blood. I'm being moved again, and the pain is exquisite. My head pounds as though being hammered with the thunder. Gentle hands take my head and comb out my hair; I make a soft moan to tell the person I like it. They stop however, and the pain intensifies again until I think to scream.  
  
Lilting, living notes float into the void of my closed eyes. For a reason I cannot explain, the song comfort me, and I find the strength to tear myself away from the welcome dark of unconsciousness again. With a huge effort, I wriggle and sit, gasping as horrifying pain wracks my broken body...  
  
***  
  
My harp falls silent as he pulls himself up, and I am aware of my pulse rising and pounding. His eyes sluggishly cross the floor, travelling up my body clad in thin nightclothes to my face. We hold each other's gaze for eternity, and the rush of our bodies screaming for each other is almost audible. The waves still roar, and in a flash of steel lightening, our faces are lit. His mouth is parted slightly, and I want nothing more than to kiss those lips, to run my hands through his hair, to hold him tight.  
  
Komali and Quill the postman appear at the entrance. I tear my eyes from his almost as quickly as he takes his gaze away. Quill shoots me a look which is at once surprise and disapproval. He and Komali go to Link and take him under the arms. The youth whimpers in agony and his arms loosen and release his possessions. As the two males help the drowned boy out and up to rocks, I gather his things and follow, the scent of him filling my nostrils and setting me alight with desire for him.  
  
They take him up the rocks and along the boards that lead to the Rito dwelling. The rain pelts down and the wind tears at our garments. The waves pound against the rocks and the spray flies at us as we climb higher. Link's eyes open slightly and he moans softly, my name, "Medli..."  
  
I trot a little to catch up, whispering, "Link... I'm here."  
  
He wants to say more but the pain takes him again and he passes out with a quiet groan.  
  
***  
  
((OK, a) it's not going to be a happy ending, and b) yes, it is very angsty. Ho hum. Please review and tell me what you think! This is the first angsty/over-done romance fic I've done, so frankly it's bound to be crap.  
  
Thanks for the pointers, Lunarian *Beats out the flames* ;)  
  
--Mouse.)) 


	2. Recovery

Chapter 2: Recovery.  
  
I follow Komali and Quill into our residence and wait as they prepare Link for the bed. Komali exits the room and, without looking at me, climbs the slope to his room. Quill follows and takes me aside, and his eyes are serious, "Medli... do not forget you are engaged to Prince Komali. You are his, and he is yours. Do not break this off for the boy."  
  
I know his words are true, but resentment crawls into my gaze as I watch him climb the slope to his chambers. I glare after his receding back and storm through to Link.  
  
He is propped up against pillows, pale and weak. He makes a faint smile as I enter, and the action splits his cracked lips. Blood trickles down his chin. Alarmed, I run over and wipe the blood away with my thumb. He meets my gaze and deliberately tickles the tip of my thumb with his tongue, like silk to a pebble.  
  
He tries to sit up further, but sinks back with a pant of pain. Pity wells up in my eyes. I have neglected to take my thumb from his mouth, and my fingers brush his cheek. He sighs, this time in contentment, and makes to pull me closer. I sit on the bed and rest my other hand on his shoulder. I can visualise clearly what will happen, and endeavour to wrench myself away.  
  
Our gazes meet, and with our eyes locked in this hopeless situation, our heads tilt in opposite directions and our lips touch.  
  
***  
  
I am divided: half of me wants, yearns for the kiss of this Rito-beauty. The other half is appalled by what I am doing. The pain I once felt ebbs away in the presence of her, and had I known how stunning she would become I would never have left Dragon Roost Island.  
  
Simultaneously, we pull away, gasping at the horror of what we were about to do. Although only a kiss, I have seen the identical necklaces she and Komali wear, and I do not want to cause her shame and break her and Komali.  
  
She still sits on the bed, and I strain my ears. I can make out the sounds of heavy breathing from all parts of this place, and I know we will not be disturbed. I tug gently on her hand again with a small smile, trying vainly to form words.  
  
She looks into my eyes with such an expression! Sorrow, longing, desire, pity, love all mingle in her dark red eyes that flicker like candles themselves in the light. The storm outside has lessened slightly, but the rain still sluices down outside the small window. The crashing of the sea has all but faded. The wind has dropped and the thunder growls a retreat.  
  
I gather myself and force words from my bleeding and broken lips, "Medli, I love you. I can deny it no longer. Yet I know you and Komali are together, and it is not my place to intervene." This effort is costing me, and a cold sweat of pain breaks out across my brow, and I pant briefly. She takes the soft cloth of her sleeve and wipes my face. Her fingers trace the line of my jaw.  
  
Suddenly, our mouths are entwined. Her hands massage my face and run across my neck, whilst mine are entangled in her long silky hair, so warm to my cold fingers, her beak so firm and smooth, her taste and scent so sweet... so sweet...  
  
***  
  
His fingers work my hair, gentle as a summer breeze. His taste in my mouth drives me near mad, and I put my entire being into this kiss of secret love.  
  
Eventually we part, and I run my tongue over my mouth to savour his scent. He presses his hands to his cheeks to feel the blush that is creeping from his neck. I get up to go, but he leans and catches my hand; the movement causes him to tense in agony, "Don't go... With you near the pain is more bearable, please..."  
  
"Link... I'm afraid of what will happen..."  
  
"So am I," he replies quietly, his eyes lowering, so deep green as to be almost black. His light hair falls across his face, and he brushes it aside with long trembling fingers. I pull away and draw a chair closer. He brightens immediately and falls back onto the cushions.  
  
"I can't stay long," I whisper.  
  
"It doesn't matter," he responds, "Medli, what are we going to do?"  
  
"I don't know," my voice is quiet with sorrow and thought. I do not love Komali anymore - this I am sure of. I look down and notice the hand that holds mine wears a ring on the third finger.  
  
He notices my gaze and sighs quietly, "Tetra. I thought I loved her. Now I am not so sure."  
  
Silently, our eyes fill with tears of hopelessness. We weep in each other's arms as the moon sinks and the sun raises her head.  
  
***  
  
((R&R please!)) 


	3. Relief

Chapter 3: Relief  
  
Slowly, day-by-day, I watch Link recover. His strength gains with each morning sunrise. His experience with the storm damaged him terribly: as well as taking all the former power from his muscles he was unable to speak for a few days following our forbidden kiss.  
  
The little pieces of his boat were all washed up eventually, and they scatter the island for no one has gathered them all yet. I know that Link cannot stay forever, and I dread the day he leaves. Since the night we kissed, we have hardly touched. I bring him food and water and clean him up when he bleeds. Quill bathes him and changes his clothes - he knows about our feelings for each other and does not allow me to see him as often as I'd like.  
  
My wedding day approaches, and the Chief keeps trying to speak to me. But I avoid him whenever I see him, slipping into Link's room or my chambers. I do not want to the think about the future anymore.  
  
Komali has not been speaking to me, the petulant young man that he is. I do not care: but soon as Link is well I do not know what I will do. After bathing and changing my clothes, I go back into his room to find him sitting upright on the edge of the bed. It is now the fifth day since Komali and I rescued him.  
  
His eyes shine with strength, and as I sit on the chair he takes my hand and whispers quickly, "Tonight I will go. I cannot stay and wait for Tetra to catch up with me."  
  
I try to conceal my sadness and disappointment, but fail spectacularly. Link's gaze softens, and he pulls me so I sit on the bed. He speaks delicately into my ear; "I am feigning this lack of strength so as to be with you as long as possible. However, Quill knows. He will expel me from this island tomorrow, I am sure of it. So tonight I will go. May I borrow a boat?"  
  
I cannot speak: if I speak I will cry, so I nod. He runs his hand through my loose hair and I cling to the arm that is around me. I cannot hold back a sob; my shoulders shake. He holds me whilst I shed my tears. He takes my chin and lifts it so we gaze into each other's eyes. I murmur, "Without you I will not live: I want to be with you before I die."  
  
His eyes widen slightly in surprise, "Do you want me?"  
  
"You know I do."  
  
I pull at my belt, and my night robe falls open, exposing honey-browned skin, tanned by the harsh sun of this world. He gasps in approval and astonishment. His long fingers run down my bare body and I shiver delightedly under his touch. I tug at his tunic neck longingly, and he sits still whilst I pull it from his head. His hair falls over his face, and I take it from his eyes, wondering at the softness of it.  
  
He draws off his leggings and we slip into the bed together, confident that we will not be disturbed. The sounds of the Rito in sleep drift from the upper rooms. Moonlight streams in through the window as our bodies rush towards each other with the urgency of youth.  
  
He enters me gently, and the rush of passion is incredible. His uncovered skin sets me on fire, and my heart races like the wings of the tiny birds. We kiss many times in the cool stillness of the night.  
  
***  
  
In the centre of the night, when Medli and I are simply lying beside one another after the night's event, I realise it is time. I move to get up, but Medli's hand is at my chest, pulling me down. I smile sadly and move my head to her neck, kissing her gently, "I have to go."  
  
I sit up and pull on my trousers regretfully, tears gathering at the corners of my eyes and threatening to fall. I do not want to leave her: my being is full of her, her warmth as I lay with her, the silkiness of her hair against my chest, her sweet scent filling my nostrils and mouth, the taste of her tan skin as I kissed her, the exquisite passion as I went into her.  
  
Medli lies flat under the sheets. Her chest rises and falls in silent sobs. Inside I am glad she feels this way about me, but I cannot bear to see her upset. I steal back onto the bed, staying above the sheets, and embrace her again. She sniffs quietly and wills her tears away.  
  
She rises without pulling the sheet over her, and I cannot tear my eyes from her body. I wrench my gaze away and gather my sword, shield, and a small sack of food and sling it over my shoulder. She launches herself out of the bed and clings to me, "Link, let me come with you. I cannot stay here with nothing but memory."  
  
I grin in the moonlight and she smiles in return; my heart leaps. She dresses hurriedly in travelling clothes and disappears for a moment to gather a small sack of her own possessions. She is back again suddenly, and together, hand in hand, we slip from the halls of the Rito like shadows.  
  
We run along the shore and take a small boat from the bay. I set the sail and the craft skims into the night on a westerly wind. Medli is weeping for her fiancée, and I know she will always love me now. Tears melt down my face for the pirate girl I once loved too, but now we have each other.  
  
***  
  
I concentrate on looking out for the land in the deep blue of night over the ocean. The moon glints off the crests of wavelets, and silver fish dart at the disturbance our boat makes. I raise my hands to my neck and remove my necklace. Link meets my gaze and without breaking his eye contact, I release the pendant from my fingers. It disappears into the calm ocean with barely a splash.  
  
Link smiles wryly and takes the ring from his finger. He looks at it thoughtfully for a few seconds, then flips it overboard as one would a rupee. I reach for his hand and our fingers interlace.  
  
***  
  
Far back, on Dragon Roost Island, Komali slips down the slope to find Link and Medli gone. His mind works quickly. Still in his nightshirt, the Prince flaps out into the night sky, swooping higher and higher, circling the mountain. He spies, in the distance, a small boat swiftly moving towards Windfall.  
  
The Prince's tears trickle down his face, soaking into the hem of his shirt. Anguished sobs wreck his throat as he mourns the girl he loved. Despair takes him and he drives himself higher into the sky with a haunting, echoing cry of pain and misery. At last when he can flap no more, the Rito perches on the lip of the crater and sits, weeping and weeping until his tears are exhausted.  
  
He takes the necklace from about his neck, stares at it through the tears that splinter his vision into a thousand worlds, and throws the locket from him.  
  
The pendant sails through the air and lands with a small muted splash in the vast ocean, where it sinks right to the very bottom.  
  
Forgotten.  
  
THE END.  
  
***  
  
Brought to you by the medlink federation. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medlink/ 


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